(a) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a therapeutic preparation for radiation ulcers which contains ubidecarenone as an effective component and also to a therapeutic method for radiation ulcers which features use of ubidecarenone.
(b) Description of the Prior Art
The radiotherapy for cancers has conventionally been prone to pay principal attention to the killing of cancer cells and to disregard the need for treatment of secondary problems or troubles developed on the skin by radiation, namely, radiation ulcers, radiation dermatitis or the like.
Generally speaking, skins which have been subjected to the radiotherapy are accompanied by intensive atrophy and their vascular walls have been rendered weak. These skins tend to undergo damages even by slightest extrinsic stimuli. The radiotherapy brings about such inherent side effects that it induces local obstructive aeterioloarteritis, destroys lymph vessels and the like and decreases SH-containing enzymes at certain local sites, thereby making the circulation of body fluid poor. On the other hand, strong tissues such as nervous tissues are able to survive the radiotherapy. Therefore, a metabolic disorder developed by poor circulation at a local site does not immediately stimulate nerves. If a disorder should be developed by an external cause such as extrinsic force on a skin which has been subjected to the radiotherapy, the disorder will be intractable and moreover, will spread to its surrounding skin. In addition, the patient will suffer from severer irritation and pains and the danger of mixed infection will increase as time goes on.
It is believed to be essential to achieve an immediate improvement to the circulation at such an infected site in order to treat the above-mentioned state of radiation ulcer or radiation dermatitis. Since such an infected site is clotted by inflammation products and the like, its treatment has hitherto been carried out by applying either singly or in combination the hyperbaric oxygen therapy, the glutathione injection therapy, the ascorbic acid and urokinase injection therapy, the oral cytochrome c administration therapy and so on. Furthermore, patients of this sort often develop some disorders at their hearts, livers, etc. Upon selection of drugs for radiation ulcers or radiation dermatitis, it is thus important to pay attention so that such additional disorders will also be cured without development of side effects. It is also recommended to prevent recurrence of such problems by using a tissue activator or the like even after the curing of radiation ulcers or radiation dermatitis, because the activity of the tissue of such an infected skin has been lowered.
The following publications (1)-(7), all in Japanese except for (5) and (7), will be listed by way of example for further-detailed explanation of the above prior art findings.
(1) Shiojima, S., Mishina H. and Ohuchi I.: Present Situation of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy in Tohoku Rosai Hospital. Nichiroshi, 21(8), 359-365, (1973);
(2) Mishina H., Haryu T., Shiojima S. and Imaizumi A.: Clinical Example of Radiation Ulcers. Shinryo to Shinyaku, 11(1), 105-110, (1974);
(3) Abe, Y., Shima T., Akiyama K. and Ohga H.: Treatment of Radiation Skin Disorders. Rinpo, 2(12): 19-25, (1967);
(4) Mishina H. and Haryu T.: Results of Application of Urokinase for Postoperative Breast Cancer after .sup.60 Co Radiation. Medical View 7(1), 25-26, (1972);
(5) Guettier, Y. et al.: Cahiers D'O.R.L., 1, 77, (1966);
(6) Mishina H., Haryu T., Shiojima S., Imaizumi A. and Sato, T.: Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy of Roentgen Ulcers. Basic Pharmacol Therapeut. 5, 1439, (1977); and
(7) Sapiro, B.: Biochemical Mechanism in the Action of Radiation. In The Biological Basis of Radiation Therapy, E. E. Schwartz, ed., Lippincott, Philadelphia, 1966, pp. 31-59.
As mentioned above, radiation disorders are unavoidable for the carcinostatic radiation therapy. These disorders are intractable especially where they are accompanied by loss of tissue. Where scar tissue is spread over a wide area for example in a radiation ulcer, the epithelialization has proceeded to a considerable degree and the thus-infected skin has become weak against physical, chemical and biological influence. Therefore, its curing has become more difficult.